Siege of Beni Suef (1799)

The Siege of Beni Suef (late January 1799) was a battle of the Egyptian Campaign of the French Revolutionary Wars. The 639-strong French army of General Jean-Baptiste Bessieres advanced south from Fayum and besieged the new Mameluke capital of Beni Suef, facing a garrison of 1,320 troops under Zahiruddin al-Suri. The Frennch stormed the city, taking it with 71 losses, and the Mamelukes were again forced to retreat further south along the Nile River.